No cut in number of food subsidy beneficiaries: PM

Allaying fears of a slash in food subsidies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday assured that the government does not intend to cut the number of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

“There will be no reduction of the 67 per cent coverage under the food security act. It is not being brought down to 40 per cent,” Modi said in his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

Dispelling fears of some members that there is shortage of urea, the Prime Minister said his government has provided 117 lakh tonnes of urea to farmers while availability of the fertiliser during 2013-14 was 112 lakh tonnes.